Book trade cooperation MENSCH on course for success

Number of members exceeds 200

Stuttgart, September 30, 2019. The MENSCH bookstore cooperative welcomes its 200th member with the addition of the Rau bookstore in Öhringen. The cooperative, initiated by KNV Zeitfracht, aims to increase foot traffic and sales in bookstores. Since its launch in January 2019, the membership of the MENSCH bookstore cooperative has been growing steadily. With the addition of the Hohenlohe-based Rau bookstore in Öhringen, it now has its 200th member. “The fact that we are growing so quickly speaks to the appeal of the MENSCH bookstore cooperative and is also a reflection of the strong loyalty retailers have toward KNV Zeitfracht,” says Thomas Raff, Managing Director of KNV Zeitfracht.

KNV Zeitfracht’s MENSCH concept puts the end customer at the center, helping bookstores attract more foot traffic. To this end, the bookstore cooperative offers an efficient purchasing model, assistance with product assortment planning, and support with communication—both in-store and, in particular, online. MENSCH members gain access to a central warehouse stocked with titles from various publishers, featuring approximately 3,500 titles. “We joined MENSCH because the concept offers far more than just good terms. We want to bring more variety to the book trade as part of a strong community. In particular, we’re looking forward to the biweekly promotional themes, for which the MENSCH team provides suitable titles and communication materials,” reports Renate Rau-Maier of the Hohenlohe’sche Buchhandlung Rau.

KNV Zeitfracht has since established its own in-house MENSCH team of experts, which identifies relevant non-fiction books and guidebooks. Three experienced booksellers also serve as MENSCH’s “Merchandising Advisory Board,” providing insights into new trends and promotional themes.

The company plans to expand its services. A new event platform will be launched shortly, which will automatically aggregate events from individual MENSCH bookstores’ online shops and make them more visible on the internet. “To meet the current demands of the book market, we are constantly refining the concept. We want everyone involved to benefit from this in the long term. Publishers with a strong non-fiction focus, in particular, can generate more profits through the significantly greater visibility of their titles on the back walls alongside the permanent inventory, as well as through regular promotions,” explains Raff.